The Marshalltown City Council last night spent nearly and hour trying to determine how to break a stalemate with the Central Iowa Fair Board on sidewalk installations along 12th Avenue and Olive Street.
The City has been laboring on this project for 12 years and negotiations between it and the fair board on size, cost of easement and who would maintain the sidewalk has reached a point of frustration for some Councilors. The Fair Board submitted a counter offer of having an eight foot sidewalk installed, as opposed to a five footer, $12,000 for easement rights and $18,000 for equipment to remove snow. The Fair Board added it does not have any dollars to spare. The Council was not in favor of that offer and went through a number of motions, which failed, to find agreement on what response to send back to the Fair Board. Councilor Gary Thompson was adamant that the Council do something last night.
The Council did agree to counter the Fair Board with an offer of a five foot sidewalk and $21,000 for the easement. The Vote was 5 to 2.
